I'm pretty hit or miss... Hard to commit. I play mental games with myself. They range from counting calories, to NoS, to listening for hunger, to fasting.... Why can't I just commit and do it already?

HEY new page!!

This may be a sign! New page, new commitment, new me!

Starting at ground zero right now. Top weight. Goal: loose 40 which is about half. I'm not setting a time limit or goal for when because that just sets me up for failure. I am doing vanilla and recording on habitcal._________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Hi ~reneew-
I wish you the very best with this new commitment and restart.
I am one who has restarted many times, and I hope this one is the charm! I do think the secret for many of us is not consistency out of the gate, but a willingness to keep coming back as many times as it takes until NoS becomes a way of life, and we realize there is no better way out there for us!
Keep us posted, we're here for you, rooting for you._________________-Sonya
No Added Sugar. No Snacks and No Seconds, Except (Sometimes) on days that start with "S".

I humbly encourage you to think that you just don't want to live with such eating disarray anymore. How long have you been at it? How long is long enough?

I say that because at age 56 when I started, I saw that I had been at it nearly 40 years! And that I would go to my grave struggling unless I just committed to something sensible.

This is just about as easy as it gets. Not easy, necessarily. But as easy as SOME kind of reasonable eating regulation gets.

And you even get time off!_________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

Hi Reneww! I wanted to introduce myself and say howdy and welcome back Partner. We are all in the same boat or on the same horse. I totally get what Oolala said, mine was just 45 years instead of 40 years of "trying". It really is insanity when you think about it. I love No S because it reveals all the bad habits we have cultivated through the years and it gives a road to change and weight loss. Good luck and we'll see you around._________________Always learning.

Thanks so much everyone! I feel so completely out of control right now. I know if I keep on the path I am on, that I will balloon to an even greater weight. This is my largest ever. I am terribly frustrated at my total lack of control.

Tomorrow I restart vanilla. Record on my new app calendar_________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Hi reneew, I'm sorry to hear you are having such a difficult time of it. Do try to focus on one decision at a time; Just getting from one meal to the next. Is there anything you can change about your environment that might help you interrupt the cycle? Maybe focus on the easiest changes first to build some success? Maybe even something non-diet related. Believe it or not, if my clothes are laid out the night before, It helps me make good food choices; weird but true.

What app are you using? I'm using Reinhardt's habitcal (and I do appriciate it) But it isn't ideal for me so I've been looking around for one I like better.

Hey! I've been in the same boat! Arrrgh. I FINALLY this week had three good days! I honestly feel so much better in just three days. It just takes one baby step at a time! Step... Rootin for ya!_________________"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day.’’ ~Winnie the Pooh ~

Well... Update. I remained out of control, got up to a terrible weight, then decided I needed to break my habit of eating all of the time so out of control so I tried to eat one meal a day. After the second day it actually got a lot easier but the weekend temptations threw me off. Over all I did loose close to 20 pounds and fast. Like in 2 weeks... But I know I can't do that forever and I need to get my mind off food so that's why I am not recording much. I need to internalize it. So, once again, the plan is...

Vanilla noS

Go me!_________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Last edited by ~reneew on Tue Oct 06, 2015 7:56 pm; edited 1 time in total

Sometimes it takes vacillating to get to the point at which the middle really does feel like the best bet. When the pendulum comes to rest, it's never at either end of the arc._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

I still haven't been very committed... Well at least past 8:00am. Ha. But the last 3 days I've managed to almost do noS and I've lost 4 pounds. I say almost because I work mornings and although I eat a great small lunch at work, I come home and think I need to snack. I need to just stick to vanilla. When I'm able to do it I lose. Period. So why won't I? And the more I do it, the easier it gets. So... I'm going to start again. Tracking etc. vanilla. Here I go. Again. One day at a time

Another thing is that I haven't been exercising at all and I'm feeling weak and injur myself easier, not to mention not sleeping as well. I need to start walking on my treadmill again. I want to set a goal for 30 miles a month. The daily step thing isn't motivating me right now, and I'm thinking monthly goal might be a good thing.

One day at a time leads to strength over time._________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Hi reneew, have you tried making a list of why you want to establish new habits? Feel better, have more energy etc. Then refer to it several times a day. Especially right before you enter a risky time of day. (For example, in the car before you arrive home from work)

Another idea is to remind yourself that you might feel uncomfortable while you work through teaching yourself new habits but that It is okay to feel that discomfort. It won't hurt you in the long run.

I remember you! It is good to see some oldtimers here. I like the idea of "renew" and that is why I have started a new thread. Forget the past and move on. I also began NoS in 2008. I, like you, have made too many detours over the years. But here I am again, and this time I really and truly am just focusing on the habit and not the weight loss. Not that I don't want to get the weight off, of course, but the focus is on one plate at a time. I don't want to count, measure, record, or weigh my food any more. I don't want to analyze my hunger or satiety. Just 3 plates a day without snacking or eating sweets except on S days (sometimes). And S Days are not permasnacking days or free for all sweet binges. They are just a small break in the routine in my opinion so as not have a deprivation boomerang.

Impatience is my problem. I want it off now! And I seem to be an all-or-nothing thinker. I start out strong and if I blow it, I REALLY blow it. I have tried every one of my favorite diets, and also my not so favorites but ones that may have worked a little, in the past few months and I feel so completely out of control. Panic out of control. Spiralling. When I feel like this I lean toward fasting to gain control but its a huge viscious cycle. I need to break it. I need to stop my all or nothing thinking. I keep feeling a panic and just want normal peace with food. I want normal period. No fasting, no snacks, no counting every bite (I can't seem to get past 11 anyway) no counting calories, or fat grams, definitely not carbs, no cleanse, no waiting for hunger and trying to stop, no nothing beyond what I know is normal and it will all even out in the long run. I have ballooned up to an all time high btw... I'll update my page one here...Peace and sanity. NoS. Normal eating. Normal. Now.
Vanilla_________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Looking back on my page one of record keeping here, I noticed that I lost 34 pounds doing noS. How could I have forgotten that?!?! That page is frustrating and encouranging all in one... but im keeping it. I also have everything written on calendars also. Yeah...

Lets do this Renee!!!

So... I noticed today all of the stuff I would have eaten and didn't...mwaaaaay too much. (Pat on the Back)_________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

I'm going to repeat the advice to consult your list of reasons you want to eat moderately. They have to be things you really want and that you know are life-affirming, not just cosmetic. Health ones are quite effective IF the concern is real. (Most people kid themselves about health. They know they are supposed to be concerned but cave at the first challenge. But so many people say when they really get it, there is no turning back. This is not meant to be hurtful. It's just a truth about people. That's why we even have a word like epiphany.) When you go back and look at lists you've made, really ponder each reason: is this actually worth going through the pain of resisting my urges when they come, or do I believe the urges will be in control? Do I believe it's inevitable that I can't hold out at the moments I need to in order to get this later? Am I really going to live in the clutches of my previous habits, including giving in to WTH? Can I really keep living like this?

I don't know if you practiced reading the list multiple times a day for weeks or even months (I read mine 5 or 6 times a day for weeks, multiple times for months, and just about every day for nearly a year. )The lucky part was that the good feelings I was going for started happening soon, so every day I read that, I felt I was winning. Weight loss wasn't the big issue, but I did plan in a couple of little rewards when I stabilized at certain weights. I kept those on my list, and I still get a little oomph when I see that I passed those milestones long ago.)

Now, if you feel you've really done this, then shut my mouth! But I resisted really doing this for years, but it made a huge difference. It's kind of what Olympic athletes are like without having to make the list. They nearly always have an underlying strong sense of why they are doing things. Sure, they love what they do, but there are definitely moments when they feel pain and difficulty, but they accept that as part of it and it weakens it a bit.

I want this to work for you! Because it sounds like there is even less chance that you could motivate yourself into something more diet-y. This has gotta be it, and you can even have some fun, IF you can concentrate on habit and not the scale._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

I totally agree with you. I have made that list many times and then it gets shoved in a drawer. I whole heartedly believed it and then it gets shoved to the back of my mind. I'm going to do exactly what you've said. Soon. My life is crazy right now.. Maybe this weekend. Thank you!

I had a perfect day yesterday. I can't believe how many times I would have grabbed junk to eat... It's staggering. I am holding on to today and reminding myself that the first 3 days are the hardest and it will get easier.

I cannot even tell you how many times I would have eaten today. It's just showing me how totally addicted I am. And this IS an addiction. If I added up the bites I've avoided today, I'm sure it would be well over 1,500 minimum. No joking. Bites cooking, birthday treats at work, cream in my tea (when the heck did I start doing that) every time I pass the candy dish of Reece's eggs (no wonder I thought I needed 7 bags to keep it stocked through the next holiday) and I would have eaten an entire extra meal just preparing dinner... And I haven't even had dinner yet.

Oh, and now I remember what hunger feels like. I forgot. And food tastes 5 times better. Oh yeah... Duh._________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Fairly cooperative rest of the week until today. It was a naughty free for all eat fest. I made homemade doughnuts for breakfast (I don't eat breakfast and haven't made doughnuts in several years) then felt sick until about 2... Ate a sandwich and some craisins, then for "dinner" had a huge bucket of movie popcorn. I feel sick again. This did not go the way I planned.

Time for that list._________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Time to get the list out of the drawer? We have so little experience of being able to face down the urges to habits that have left us uncomfortable over and over. The brain pattern still provides the desire despite all the following misery. It really thinks it's protecting you from future starvation! In fact, I think it sometimes gives the idea for crazy stuff like making donuts because it knows somethings up and it wants to reassert itself. Don't let it make the decisions! Let the prefrontal cortex help you create new experiences. It may take a bit for it to start feeling good, but have faith! You will never be sorry you made the moderate choice._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

Oh man... I was like a pack an this weekend. Today was not really any better than yesterday. I'm at a new all time high. And it's honestly up 8 pounds since Tuesday morning. Yes it's evening, but still!! I so need to get on the bandwagon here... Full speed ahead tomorrow. I want a perfect week!_________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Fence around the law._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

I've almost made it both Monday and today but got hungry and caved. What this shows me is that my stomach is used to frequent eatin and eating more when I do. Duh. So I'm going to focus on the and make sure I have enough on my plate when I eat so I can make it til dinner... THEN focus on not eating too much.
My plan _________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

I think whenever you are struggling with your hunger between meals, you are doing it right to eat lots at your meals. Otherwise the fear factor may bring on the urge to eat.

And like oolala said, fence around the law. Do not spend ONE second of your valuable emotional energy thinking about what you ate on an S Day. And do not waste a single bit of willpower trying to eat a smaller plate on an N Day if you think you need that willpower just to make it through to the next meal without snacking.

Thanks you guys! It's helping! I did great today. I didn't eat too much either. I just kept telling myself " payout can do this..." I felt like the little engine that could. I even walked on my treadmill... It's been a couple weeks..._________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Feel the pat on your back? Two more days until S days._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

Successful day today! Woot woot.
I've thought about the problems with my weekends and it's always been my downfall. Even if I'm a saint all week, I do more damage on Saturday and Sunday than I do good Monday through Friday. So, instead of the noS book rules saying except on s-days... I'm going with the site here saying except sometimes on S-days. There's a huge difference to me. If the word "sometimes" isn't involved, I take it as a day off and that's been my huge downfall all along. My plan for "sometimes" is to chose one S on each Saturday and Sunday. I've been planning mine all week. I think it's a very controlled thing and won't derail me and the meals will keep me on habit. Last weekend was typical from my past on noS and that wasn't working. I seriously and honestly went up 7 pounds in one weekend. Minimum. I know much of that was maybe water weight, but maybe not. I felt like an obese hippo._________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

So tomorrow is going to be tough. I really really want to stick with it and allow one S per weekend day. I want to stay in control. I feel like this weekend could make or break it all for me..._________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Definitely more than 10 pounds lost in a week. I'm down 13 since Sunday night. I know I need to factor in the morning/night weight and the fact that it was before and after a weekend, but I'm hoping and driven to hold steady to have a 10 pound loss Sunday night to Sunday night.

You are sounding like you are in a pretty good place right now--keep going!_________________I am a small person. Therefore, it is reasonable that smaller portions will satisfy me.
Aug 24th: 143.2, waist 35 inches
Sept. 22: 143.6, waist 34 inches

Since I doubt you ate 45,500 calories less than you burned this week (13 pounds), I think it's safe to say a lot of the loss was water, but it still feels good not to be carrying it! And knowing that you ate so that your body didn't need to keep all that water and some fat, too. SOMETIMES has always been one of the tenets. Even in the book, Reinhard says that eventually, S days will look like N days with an occasional real celebration S thrown in. It's just that eventually can take a lot longer and more purposeful eating than the lucky ones that just have things die down on their own. Took me over two years and some relapses .And he later added a podcast about an S day mod of no snacking of the kind where a body just opens cabinets/fridge and eats bites and sips. (R. said in the book that he hadn't seen S days be the reason people gave up, but that must have been awhile back. I feel I've seen it do people in a lot on the board since I've been posting [mostly after Dec 2009] It's a shame, too, because I think it eventually does succumb to reason and because it's very doubtful MOST of the departers will find something better).

Your name is really fitting these days!_________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

S days have always been my problem. I feel great about where I'm at right now. I felt totally out of control. I feel that I've got one finger stopping the spin right now anyway..._________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Only one successful day last week... Which proves only one thing. I am waaaaay out of habit and out of control. Get it back!_________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Try not to panic. Panic isn't conducive to as rational approach as No S or any successful program.

What do you fail with most? How about taking a few days to concentrate on that one only? Or possibly the whole week? Small compliance can build momentum in a way that continual failure at something bigger doesn't.

Do you have some stock comebacks to the thoughts you get that tell you to eat? Or to the sensations that seem so compelling?

Sorry to ask these if it feels like, "I know all this!" Just reminders. You may not even want advice. But...

No matter what, don't crash the car because you dented the fender!_________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

I know this is sane and I've been insane around food for a long time again.
I feel good on noS. you know how when other say "I just can't eat because I'm worried" or "I'm too sick to eat"... Well, those moments are the ones that I turn to God for comfort even though my body is telling me not to. I just don't get this concepts right now.

At the moment I just need to follow the rules until the past habits start to fade and then I can start to build the habit. Thinking that I'm building a habit now doesn't seem accurate or helpful at the moment. I'm going day by day. I know I can do it. I know if I do it, I will lose and more importantly, feel in control.

I will do this.

Edit: my son was just telling me about a story of some guy in the NBA who really needed to get better in his free throw shots and practiced 12 hours a day... Then one day they were in a championship game and he was very sleep deprived but because he had practiced and gotten so good, on the winning game shots, he won because his muscles and brain remembered it and took over.

Then I sad to him "yes, it's all because of practice practice practice. Anyone who is lousy at something but wants to get better just needs to practice and when you do it becomes second nature and easy. Then you don't even need to practice as it Is just what you do well.

Then it hit me... Duh... Listen to your own advice Reneé._________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Yes! I call it practicing meal gaps. Get from one gap to the next. Repeat 1,000 times. Then keep going._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

I do feel motivated today. Want a good week. Period. Hen I'll think about the weekend. For me e weekends really do blow any progress I make during the week. And the habit didn't carry over into the weekend like others say it will. I need a new mindset. One where I continue the same and instill the "sometimes" and that's hard for me. One day "off" doesn't work either..._________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

When you get really really sick of how it feels to overdo it on S days, it will get easier. Not easy, just easier. At least, that's how it was for me. I would sit there pretty much gritting my teeth while the hours passed on S days without eating until meals. I wasn't hungry, but still wanted to eat! But I knew this is what it would take to not feel crappy later. It did NOT happen naturally. So what? That's just luck, anyway, not a sign of strong character or anything else.

I have NEVER been sorry I waited to eat. I doubt you will, either, even when it's really, really hard._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

I've been kind of wish you washy with it. Almost making it p, then caving for a little seconds at dinner or sweets for an occasion in my head. Grrr... But I have maintained my 10 pound drop from week one. If only I could do that again. I'm a bit stressed with my daughter graduating and doing her party... And end of the school year teaching... But I do realize this is the only sane way for me._________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

It took quite a lot of not lasting many times before it became clear that I was paying a worse price by giving in. A LOT of times! and it isn't as if it's mindless now. But doable and worth it._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

Two days a week is a good start! Just keep inching your way, getting through one more "fast" between meals, or a day with no sweets, or whatever. You'll either get better at it slowly, or likely get exasperated and bite the bullet. It's can be hard, but it's not TOO hard. _________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

Keep thinking in an almost panic state. Then I want to fast til dinner, then I'll think I need to listen for hunger and stop at full. NoS is sane and when I follow it exactly, I do fine. Slow and steady. I just need to stick it out for a couple weeks to get the habit...

Do it_________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

With all due respect, in case this is still problematic, the process is actually likely to go faster if you are willing to take it more slowly, with less to resist. Try not to worry about being hungry at the meal and stopping when full at first. (Unless you're pulling it off. Then shut my mouth!)

Two more weeks, approx., in July!_________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

I'm mentally and emotionally bouncing all over the place. I know that part of my problem is that when I follow noS exactly, I don't really lose. I just read a post with someone having that same problem after 3 months with no weight loss and it popped in my head that she should try to have half of her plate be fruits and veggies. In the past I would have replied to just smaller plates but recently I've been doing an app that I take a picture of my plates and I realized the pitiful veggie amounts I've been eating. Two days in a row with none! So... That's what I'm going to try to do. Record on my photo calendar app. Vanilla noS with pictures and half of my plate will be fruits and veggies_________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Would love to see some of those plate pics!_________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

I just had a huge eye opener. On my very first page here where I have recorded my weight loss since the beginning when I started.. I was reading and noticed that I had lost a total of 34 which because of a broken scale was actually 39! Wow. That's a touch of motivation!

Go for 39 like I did before! _________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Oh, good! Must be a bit of a relief._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

After realizing how much I had really lost before I have renewed faith in the long term and I'm not giving up. It's my daily plan. I just wish I could see a little bit of results._________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

But I've come to accept that no number of successes on any program is proof that it will work as is for every individual who tries it. It's going to need to be individualized and for some it might end up looking very different than the original. But having habit or routine is very useful. It just takes time to work out the right version. The good thing about No S, I believe, is that it's a humane way to tread water, so to speak.

If it's any consolation, even when weight is not the issue, there can still be frustrations. So it isn't as if you are completely missing out on all the fun!_________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

I've been gong back and reading what I've previously written and seeing what my mental state was when it was working for me and when it wasn't. When I lost those 39 pounds, I was just steadily doing vanilla perfectly strict. So, obviously that's the plan. A couple months later I would skip a lunch if I was busy and felt strong and that boosted it. Another thing is that after a couple months of doing well I hit a bit of a plateau and that's when I bought a treadmill. That helped a lot! Currently I'm not on habit with my treading and I actually dread it... I'm thinking I'll reward perfect vanilla with allowing myself to skip treading... For now. When I've gotten more of a habit under my thick belt, then I'll kick in with treading.

Honestly, by allowing my self to not tread felt like a great reward yesterday. A successful day. Haha. Oh the tricks we play with our minds._________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

4 excellent days! They weren't over restricted, I don't feel deprived at all, I feel successful and since Sunday night, I'm down 8 pounds already. If I tack on the 5 I was down prior, I'm down 13. Wow. Why in the heck did I ever stray? The next 3 days will be the test.

Be strong._________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Keep up the good work! Maybe make yourself a motivational card to help you stick things out if you have a slower loss week or plateau for awhile--remind yourself why to stick with it. Anyway, happy for you!_________________Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.

I have a little motivational photo album haha. I need to dust that off and use it.

Yesterday was bad. I had seconds, and thirds, and fourths... On pizza. It's my downfall. I need to buy or make tiny personal ones or I basically consider the whole thing mine. family size. Family? What family? Haha_________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

I have a little motivational photo album haha. I need to dust that off and use it.

Yesterday was bad. I had seconds, and thirds, and fourths... On pizza. It's my downfall. I need to buy or make tiny personal ones or I basically consider the whole thing mine. family size. Family? What family? Haha

Or maybe divvy it up right away and mark them for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner etc...?!

(My son loves pizza for breakfast!)

We have pizza most Friday nights (two teens in the house), which means we end up having leftover pizza most Saturdays (my son is actually disappointed if there's NOT enough for breakfast the next day...) I save my leftovers for lunch though..._________________Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.

Love pizza anytime myself. We have it Friday and I have to say I've been very good at not eating the pizza my son brings home from work every time he works. I told him to wrap it up tight and put his name on it. It works for me. Others may eat it but I don't. Making personal pizzas is the only thing that seems to work for me. I've tried everything over the years. I had an almost normal behaved S day yesterday and to make up for Friday, I'm trying to do an N day today. Logically it works for me sometimes._________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

May I suggest that for awhile you eat pizza out of the house and bring home NO leftovers? Just until you have some positive experiences.

Your habit/ addiction will likely put up a fuss. That's probably a sign that it's a good idea.

On lists of most addictive foods, pizza is just about always on them. Particle food (flour) salt, fat, probably a little sugar in the dough, big portions...

I feel ya. Nothing to do but try again._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

It's pizza in my home every Saturday night. I buy it or make it. If my son is home from school, it's 2 large pizzas devoured, but if not, the four of us (three men),leave 3-4 slices behind. In the freezer it goes. I'll make a collection of them until we don't have to buy/make it that week. Not as good as fresh, of course, but if the oven is on low, it's not bad.

I normally eat two slices of the large, which is too much for me, or should be. I'm thinking about selecting the largest piece (do they ever cut it evenly?), and cutting it in half, so it's two smaller pieces, and working it from there. Gotta take these things slowly not to discourage, ya know?

One great thing about No S is that it's not a quick short term (but gain it all back) fix. It's a lifetime of tweeking and adjusting to suit one's need. Very relaxing!

Navigating that weekly routine can't be avoided, I guess. Cutting a larger slice in two sounds like a good experiment. Too bad you couldn't make a 1-day habitcal just for that. You'd deserve lots of credit!_________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

I either make homemade pizza or get take and bake papa Murphy's because we are usually running around going to football games in the fall. It has worked in the past to make a small personal pizza. My problem is when I buy the big ones or my son brings them home from work. I think for a while I will stick with homemade because I'm not tempted then. Or maybe I'll have my son make a personal one for me even though it's not on the menu.

I'm doing well by the way. It doesn't work to say "close enough" so I'm not going to anymore. Strict strict works._________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

10/08 - 0 starting weight
11/08 - 15 - 20 down. honest. What am I doing? vanilla No S!
12/08 - 20 down, then I got over-confident, quit and it was Christmas time! I seem to always make it to 20, then bounce.
01 /09
02 /09
03 /09 - 0 down. again Embarassed
04 /09 - 10 down.
05/09 - 14 down. (but I got a new scale that reads 3 pounds off of the last, so actually 3 more lost from now on)
06 /09 - 18 Slowing, so I reset my goal Wink got to 20 and bounced.. again...and again...and again. I have for years.
07 /09 - 18 down. I seem to only be able to maintain this summer. Difficult temptations when the kids are around.
08 /09 - 20 - and very determined not to bounce!
09 /09 - 26 down!
10/09- 21 - quit and tried sparkpeople for 3 weeks... duh. Reset my goal again. Rolling Eyes
11/09- 16 big gain during the holidays:roll:
12/09- didn't want to know... weigh day was on Christmas and new years was worse!
01 /10 - 17 down.
02 /10 - 17
03 /10- 20
04 /10 -
05 /10 -
06 /10 - 20 just seems to be my number! ug
07 /10 -
08 /10 - 21 I seem to maintain every summer.
09 /10 - 26 down again!!! Woohoo!!!
10/10 -
11/10 -
12/10 -
01/11 - just don't ask... gaining
02/11 -
03/11 -
04/11 - I try daily... and fail daily all winter. Ug.
05/11 - 0 Embarassed yep, back to the beginning! I feel miserable!
06/11 -
07/11 - 0 and starting over with a fresh start
08/11 - 11 down. Yea! 2-3 dishes period. 7 days a week.
09/11 -
10/11-
11/11- 5 down
12/11- 0 down. Back to the beginning. I feel like a fat looser... time to try another plan I think. But then I'm not really doing this either.
01/12- 0 Doing Paul McKenna I can make you thin
02/12- +5 and an new 0 on 3/15/12 Embarassed For the past year I've been wishy washy trying everything. Where did it leave me? At a new all-time high! I'll call it zero, but it's a new zero.
03/12- 12 down from my new high. Fresh start the week of my 45th birthday! Vanilla NoS without cut-and-pasting my ideas into it! I went 21 days strictly straight!!!
04/12- 20 down from my highest. I feel like I have the habit: vanilla with a couple double good days a week. Only 1 red this month.
05/12- 22 down. A few reds.
06/12- 23 down. A few more reds. Ug.
07/12- 22 down. Harder to stay 100% when my weekends blow the entire week. Summers with the 4 kids home are tough!
08/12- 27 down. I've started to wait for hunger, get 1 dish, and try to stop at satisfied. It is really helping. 2-3 dishes of food. Also bought a treadmill...
09/12- 28 down. I'm trying to wait for hunger and stop at full along with vanilla NoS
10/12- 32 down so far and lighter than I've been in over 6 years! Woohoo!
11/12-34 down but actually 39 because of the broken scale thing. I want to get to half way!
12/12- 30 down but I got as high as only 18 down around the New Year. UG!
01/13- 26 down
02/13- 24 down
03/13- 24 down
04/13- 22 down. Why do the holidays de-rail me so bad? Ug!!!
05/13- 24 down
06/13- 25 down
07/13- 28 down
08/13- 26down
09/13- 26 down
10/13- 26 down

8/16-0 but a new higher 0. Down 12 by the end of the month (2weeks). And... reading here in saw that 8 years ago I lost 20 in less than 2 months, then lost 26 twice, even reaching 34 which because of the broken scale thing, was really 39! If I would have just stuck with noS I would have been there a long time ago. Starting over determined!
9/16-

current goal: 25 down by the end of the year

next goal: down 45 and half way by the time I turn 50 on st. Patrick's day... (I'd not feel like a freak anymore)
next goal: 50 down (just because 50 is a big number)
next goal: 65down (pre-baby weight ~ I had 4 ya know. I'd be happy here.
next goal: 75 down (I got to this weight after baby #2. I'd be extatic! Last time I felt like I failed because I didn't reach the goal that the charts say.)
Ultimate goal: down 85 but I'm not sure about that. 75 would be good too. [/size][/color]
__________________________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

I humbly suggest you stop having weight goals and have habit-of-feeling goals. How does the eating that has you gain feel? What is dissatisfying about the eating that gets you to a lower weight that you end up abandoning it? It's less about the weight than the experience of doing each of these. Which is more miserable, eating so that you're never really hungry, constantly giving in to fake hunger, feeling full almost all the time, feeling that the least let up on fullness is a reason to go eat more, rarely really enjoying what you eat, rarely really pleased with the experience, OR anticipating a good meal ahead, being hungry for it and savoring how wonderful the food is, being pleasantly full for hours after the meal, remembering how lovely the food was, and how good it feels not to be stuffed? Etc.

You will never be able to maintain ANY weight that doesn't result from balancing pleasures. If you are not convinced mentally and physically (unless you're actually sick) that moderation is actually more pleasurable overall than obvious immoderation, then you won't likely be able to hold out when those really strong urges come, when your mind is telling you all the reasons it's okay to go with every whim. This comes from experience, not from telling yourself it's true or from me saying it. But you also have to give the experience a bit more attention than overeating has gotten. Use habitcal or anything quick easy way to acknowledge the good behavior and the good feelings, the physical ones, not just moral ones, that come with it.

Christmas does a LOT of people in. Some research has shown that a fair number of people gain most of their weight at Christmas time, and the just never take it off. But that doesn't happen from eating a few extra desserts on weekends and the actual holiday. It usually comes with a LOT of feeling overfull because we are so used to eating more just because something tastes good. If something tastes good, we should slow down and SAVOR it more, not eat more of it. That's the way slim cultures love food but stay slim. But that takes practice in less "stressful" situations.

Consider making it a priority to get the habits down solid in the next few months. That could make a real difference in your getting through this holiday season actually enjoying yourself more while eating less. From experience, I can tell you that that is worth EVERY white-knuckling moment, and if you are an emotional eater, or kind of addicted to sweets, flour foods, processed foods, there will likely be some of those. Only a kind of religious epiphany or a lucky combination of foods wipes those urges out, and who can wait for those?

We live in a society in which food is around a lot of the time. Christmas, the summer, etc. Whatever we do HAS to help us negotiate that fact. But belief that it is worth some pain to conquer ad hoc eating, and later the belief that it's not actually that painful, that it's actually more painful NOT to, is a big help.

Could the following become a real, true mantra,not just an imposition?

Overeating is more painful later than resisting it is now. I'm sure there will be multiple times a day to invoke it, maybe way past 20 lbs. So what if it takes a long time to get it right? Hasn't a long time passed already?

If this mantra can't become true for you. then you are trying to convince your body that sacrificing a LOT of the time will somehow be worth being thin. It begs to differ. See above for exceptions.

If any of this is too harsh, delete it and send me bad vibes! But I'm on your side!_________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

It usually comes with a LOT of feeling overfull because we are so used to eating more just because something tastes good. If something tastes good, we should slow down and SAVOR it more, not eat more of it.

This is such a big one--it's so ingrained for me to think the other way (and so many times I've gotten half or two-thirds of the way through something and don't even remember eating...then that would make me want more, etc...).

oolala53 wrote:

But belief that it is worth some pain to conquer ad hoc eating, and later the belief that it's not actually that painful, that it's actually more painful NOT to, is a big help.

I have been surprised a number of times that something I *thought* was going to feel like a big, huge sacrifice to miss turned out to be not all that big of a deal. Definitely more painful NOT to...that's how I ended up where I am!

Good thoughts._________________Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.

And you reinforced some great habits to get there! A nice combo. Kudos._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

Thanks guys.
I've been on a rollercoaster again. I go up and down 5 pounds every darn week, just like before. I go up 5 every weekend and struggle to go back down again all week long. I take s days on the weekend. No longer. I am going to do noS 7 days a week and only make acceptions for true special events until I get half way. I turn 50 in March and I'm driven. Now or never. So... Here goes my all._________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Wishing you well, reneew! My S days cause backpedaling, also. I keep thinking in my mind what I want to do with them, but like your signature says..._________________"Never go back for seconds. Get it all the first time." - Garfield

Turning 50 or not, weighing 5 lbs. more or less or not, feeling like food and the environment is in control does not breed contentment. Isn't it just the roller coaster of feeling sated and feeling stuffed that's at the heart of things? What if you did both and maintained a thin weight? Do you think you'd be happy? I'd bet cash money you wouldn't, judging by other sites I'm on where thin women go through the same cycles and the same misery, but often without the weight gain. It's the feeling of too much that detonates the self-disgust bomb. (But ironically, refusing to let the bomb keep burning- being self-compassionate after the fact- actually helps interrupt the cycle.) Aack, I'm preaching.

Seeing that you have only so much time left to get this right helps. Not to be maudlin, but that's just reality. I took another 6 years (age 56 at start) to think, my God, will I really still be doing this 10 or 20 years from now, to the end or close to it? You might not have to!

I"m coming to the conclusion (sounds similar to you) that there are probably only 10-15 times a year that really merit the extras that denote big time celebration with food. No S provides plenty of opportunity for sane pleasure along the way. We can vary the amount and content on the plate as desired.

I'm on your side! (Will be a Luddite for about a week starting tomorrow.)_________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

My Saturday and Sunday were Good. They were basically what an S day should look like. Meals with a snack or two small snacks. Controlled and happy. I also stayed at the same weight from Friday morning to Monday morning so I'm very happy. I've Been "almost" having green days during the week. I need to just do it already. Get the habit back._________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

My Saturday and Sunday were Good. They were basically what an S day should look like. Meals with a snack or two small snacks. Controlled and happy. I also stayed at the same weight from Friday morning to Monday morning so I'm very happy. I've Been "almost" having green days during the week. I need to just do it already. Get the habit back.

Congratulations on a saner weekend! Happy for you!_________________Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.

Hope you're having a better week. If it's any consolation, I'm kind of experiencing a hangover from overages the last few days. Nothing to do but wait until the next appropriate meal. (and give kudos for maintaining and for the REST of our lives)_________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

My habitcal looks pitiful. I've been vacationing in Arizona, stressed at work, and just down right ignoring my plan... But I've managed to maintain. So Monday I got mad at myself and I've had 2 good days this week so far. This feel calm and sane... And I lose. Why do I continually forget that?

Go me!_________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

You forget because eating is also reinforcing, even if just temporarily!

I've had two good days in a row, too. First time in a long time, I think. It doesn't feel as good as it used to, but I'm still glad, and i'm going to revel in the better feelings as often as I remember. I might try to revel in yours, too!_________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 64
SBMI Jan/10-30.8
Jan/12-26.8
Mar/13-24.9 Stayed at +/- 8-lb. for three years Sept/17 22.8 (but harder to maintain)
Dec/17 23.8

I wish I could start a new page for the new year. i don't really want a new thread, but I want a fresh start. My hope for this Christmas is to maintain this weight because I never have through new years. I turn 50 in March, so I really want to get below a certain number by then. At least I have a goal for the new year._________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

I read a challenge by Maggie Mae I think it was and it was a challenge to stay on noS all year and not switch diets all year. She wrote a list of which diets she tried each month. The problem with me is that I don't try a different one each month, I try a different one every other day. I used to be persistent, but the last couple years I think I'm getting tired . Tired of thinking about what will work, has or had not worked, what I will try tomorrow... I am so so sick of it. I think I'm desperate. And the really stupid thing is that I have probably tried 15 different diets almost daily rotating them for the past 20 years at least and other than counting calories or fat grams, the only thing that has ever worked for me was noS. in the past 15 years, the only thing at has worked for me was no s. When I decide and do it, I feel peace.

I did 39 on noS before. I can do it again!

So why don't I?

To describe how I feel as frustrated is beyond an understatement.

Just do it!_________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Have you looked at what makes you switch--what is your mindset that encourages you to switch daily? Are you thinking that you want something you'll like better, or that's more effective or that works faster...are you bored? Something else? I think if you can figure out the thought process that triggers so much switching, then you can fight that more effectively.

No-S is so worth it, as you said. It's not fast or flashy, but it gets the job done. Hang in there! Try the monthly challenges for encouragement and post when you are tempted to change. Praying for you!_________________Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.

I think what I'm feeling is panic. And a desperate scrapping for a plan that will guarantee results as fast as possible. I see that what I tried today didn't work for me so I need to do something else. I'm generally a long term thinker so this goes against my grain. I don't know why I do it. Looking back and seeing that I actually lost 39 pounds was good for me. My past loss of 50 counting calories and exercising, then another 45 or so counting fat grams was what I always fell back in because it seemed proof to me. A guarantee that I'd loose. But now I'm trying to get it in my head and remind myself that Losing 39 on noS is jus as sure, I just need to stick with it.
My 2017 plan is to stick with noS no matter what. All year. I might make mods... But slightly, because I know this works, I just need to do it. I also know that the longer I do it, the easier it is to do!

I will copy and paste this onto the next page, a page for 2017... So I remember why I'm thinking_________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Last edited by ~reneew on Fri Dec 30, 2016 5:31 pm; edited 1 time in total

I really feel the need for a fresh start for 2017, and I don't want to lose my history here, so I'm going to bump it up until I get to a new page._________________I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me